Rescue Team Adventure
by Reevips
Summary: Xatu, a fairly eccentric pokemon by nature, has long since started his very own academy. Despite being fairly secretive about what he knows, he has sent several teams on several missions to help out other pokemon. This is the story of one such team.
1. Chapter 1

_Dear Diary. Hi, it's Feathers again. You know, the Torchic? I'm sure you hear from plenty of pokemon(considering they all write to you!), so I hope I don't bother you too much with the events of my life._

_I've been travelling with my best friend Kiloh for awhile now, since before we even joined Xatu's academy. Speaking of Xatu, he recently teamed everyone up into pairs. Luckily, he thought it would be a good idea for me and Kiloh to team up! I can tell you, I was really nervous that I'd have to team up with someone… intimidating. Haha, I just shuddered and Slash looked at me funny!_

_Oh, me and Kiloh teamed up with Slash the Zangoose and Fangs the Seviper after some events in a mountain pass. It was weird though… we asked Xatu if it was okay and he… smiled really creepily. It was as if knew we would ask to team up before we did. He disturbs me sometimes, but everyone else seems okay with him, so I guess I'll just try to ignore it. Oh, and in case you're wondering, Slash and Fangs hate each other. It's honestly a miracle they haven't attacked each other; they fight about everything. I mean EVERYTHING. Slash told me herself that it's because he's a Seviper and she's a Zangoose. According to them, Zangoose and Sevipers have feuded for thousands of generations… I tell you, it all sounds really epic to hear! I wonder what could have caused something that serious... Xatu didn't seem to care when he made the two team up, and he didn't even hesitate to give us all our current mission! We're to travel firstly to the Zangoose colony, with further instructions to be given upon the completion of negotiations. Yeah, you can tell those aren't my words!_

_Oh, Kiloh looked at me just now; I think he wants me to wrap up this entry and get some sleep. Speaking of Kiloh, Xatu made him reveal his special ability to the rest of the academy. Kiloh has this weird sense thing that allows him to tell how powerful a pokemon is… I asked him about it and he said he can see a pokemon's "level" when he comes into contact with it. And yeah, I asked him already. He told me that I was the same level as him. What level that is, I don't really know… and I can't really say how much it matters. Okay, Slash just gave me a look. Seeing as I'd hate to be on anyone's bad side, (especially Slash's or Fangs's… sheesh!) I'm going to end off here for tonight._

Feathers looked over the entry she had written with apparent satisfaction. It was a good thing she had found time to write another entry, as most other times she was too busy… not to mention she'd forget to as often as not. Not wanting to anger her companions, she hastily stuffed the paper into the backpack that Kiloh and her shared. The light of the fire was dying down; it would have been tough to successfully write much more anyway. Feathers glanced at the rest of the group.

Fangs was coiled up comfortably, poking at the dirt with his bladed tail. Feathers couldn't see what Slash was doing as the Zangoose had rolled over and was now facing away from the rest of the group. Kiloh was lying down, staring at the fire as it withered into hot, glowing coals.

"Hey Slash, when do you think-" Feathers started to ask rather meekly.

"We'll be there sometime tomorrow," Slash finished simply without stirring in any visible way. As Xatu had requested, the four were to head to the known Zangoose colony within the forest. Obviously, Slash was to lead them as she was the only one who knew where it was. Fangs seemed to stir uncomfortably, flipping onto his back and stretching out to compensate.

"Hey, Fangs, are you nervous?" Kiloh asked after a moment of uneasiness. Fangs looked at Kiloh but didn't respond. Surprisingly, there was no apparent fear in Fangs's eyes; instead, it appeared that he was anticipating the encounter with apprehensiveness.

"Of course he's nervous," Slash stated dryly, "he's about to casually stroll into a colony of very skilled hunters who automatically hate him and want to kill him. Believe me, I would join them in the hunt if Xatu hadn't told me to side with everyone on my team. You're lucky that Zangoose by nature are true to their word."

Only Kiloh could see Fangs smirk amusedly. Kiloh and Feathers both knew that Zangoose would find all Sevipers untrustworthy just as Sevipers would find all Zangoose untrustworthy. It was a never-ending cycle, and honestly, both Feathers and Kiloh were nervous at the reception they would receive upon arrival. Would they attack Fangs on sight? Would defending him result in a potentially fatal battle?

"Well, in any case, Xatu must have sent all of us for a reason… despite the obvious danger," Kiloh stated in a matter-of-fact sort of way. This seemed the obvious way of looking at things. Xatu had sent them in order to enlist their help given the recent troubles in the world. These recent troubles included many natural disasters and, more disturbingly, rumors of a disease that affected almost all types of pokemon. Needless to say, Xatu's academy, even as prestigious as it was, couldn't handle everything itself.

"We'd better get some sleep in case… well… let's get some sleep," Feathers stammered softly. Nobody answered, but her advice had clearly been acknowledged.

As Slash had predicted, it was well into the day before they came within view of what the Zangoose took to be the colony. The trail they were on had been slow-going on account of the forest growing over the less-travelled road. Fangs seemed to be looking around suspiciously, as if perceiving some threat behind every tree.

"Okay, we should be coming up to the war-zone," Slash told them as she observed the light ahead. Feathers looked disturbed by the title.

"War-zone?" Kiloh enquired uneasily.

Fangs's eyes narrowed as they approached the break in the trees. "It's an enormous clearing between the Zangoose colony and the Seviper colony. Both sides have been trying to gain control of it for years. It has great strategic value in terms of resources and even its military standpoint." Fangs's explanation was greeted with a nod of approval by Slash.

"I've fought my fair share in this clearing," Slash whispered reflectively. She looked over her claws, as if remembering a specific moment in that past. "Sometimes… sometimes they put up a good fight."

"Likewise," Fangs responded. It was apparent that he had witnessed his fair share of battles as well.

Slash hesitated for a moment before saying "you'd better stick close to me; if they see you by yourself in Zangoose territory… well, just don't expect it to end well." Fangs heeded her warning. Ironically enough, it seemed that their mutual hatred allowed them to empathize with each other.

The sight of the clearing provoked a gasp from Feathers and wide eyes from Kiloh. To be truthful, it hardly resembled a clearing at all; it stretched out for at least a mile in every direction. From where they had first entered, Slash led them to the right. "It's so strange," Fangs observed, "I've only ever gone this way on raids. I feel like I should be heading back to the left."

"We'll be heading there in a few days. Just hold out until then, okay Fangs?" Kiloh reassured the Seviper. Fangs glanced at Kiloh sardonically, although appreciativeness was evident in his eyes.

Slash stopped suddenly, her ear twitching. She gestured for them all to stop and be quiet with a quick "shhh". Fangs flicked his tongue out suspiciously.

Over the next hill came a patrol of four Zangoose. When they caught sight of Slash, one of them raced forward. "Slash?! Is that you?"

Slash smiled warmly as the other Zangoose approached her, "yeah, it is. It sure has been awhile."

"Years!" the largest Zangoose agreed, "we haven't seen you since you went to form a rescue team all those years ago. I tell you, Rash had a really hard time replacing you in the militia. From what I remember, you were quite the asset!"

"If she was good then, she's even better now!" Feathers chirped happily, eager to be introduced to Slash's friend. Feathers had always been the shy one, but recent events had taught her to befriend others whenever she could. Slash rolled her eyes at the little bird.

"Oh! How rude of me. Feathers, this is my old friend Bruce. I can't say I'm acquainted with the others though," Slash explained.

Bruce smiled warmly, glancing at the other Zangoose around him. "They are mostly new members to the patrol. I'm supposed to show them the ropes, as it were. Is this the rescue team you wanted to create?"

Slash smirked, "I guess you could say part of it. Actually, I joined an academy that works to roughly the same end as a rescue team. Anyways, this is Feathers the Torchic." Feathers chirped a quick greeting. "This is Kiloh the Treecko." Kiloh waved shyly. "And this… this is…"

None of the Zangoose had even noticed Fangs until she had gestured towards him. She couldn't even finish what she was saying before a wave of hostility rushed over all of them.

"He… he is Fangs." Feathers chirped awkwardly. "He travels with us."

Bruce growled threateningly brandishing his claws. "This is obviously some sort of joke! A Zangoose would not be caught dead travelling with a Seviper… unless… is this some sort of compensation for being gone all that time; an offering of free Seviper target practice to make up for your absence? I must say, I commend your effort."

Fangs narrowed his eyes menacingly, hefting his bladed tail at the ready. Feathers stepped in between the massive Zangoose and Fangs in an attempt to stop them from fighting.

"Feathers is… right... unfortunately. We all need to succeed on this task, and for that, we can't fight here. I know I'm asking a lot, but we need safe passage to our colony," Slash muttered, trying to wave off the air of awkwardness, "all of us."

"Are you serious? Are you honestly suggesting that I let a Seviper live… and furthermore, allow it free passage to our village?! This had better be a joke. I'm ashamed that you would even agree to team up with it!"

"_It_ has a name," Fangs hissed dryly. He was obviously as eager to fight as the Zangoose were.

Bruce gazed with hatred at the Seviper just as all the smaller Zangoose did. "Hey Slash, you aren't going to let me pass up free Seviper-fighting lessons to these new recruits, are you?" Bruce laughed

Slash smirked, "believe me, I know what you mean. But my academy master would throw me out of the academy for that, and I have a great standing at the academy… a lot of respect. Above that… well… the academy needs him, and I'm not about to jeopardize my position there."

Bruce seemed very dissatisfied by this answer, but seemed to mull it over. Finally, he grunted and nodded his head, "Fine, you may go, but I'm not taking you. I'm not going to be held responsible for bringing a Seviper into our society. We are going to finish our patrol. If _he_ wants access to the village, he's going to have to persuade like crazy to get it. All I can say is good luck to you, Slash. Don't expect too much of a warm welcome after this." With that, Bruce turned and left hastily. The other Zangoose growled at the Seviper with hostility, but then followed after Bruce.

"Well, that's not a good sign," Fangs hissed when they were out of earshot.

Slash sighed and turned to him. "Look, I know what Xatu told us to do… but if you're nervous about just strolling into enemy territory, we could meet up with you later…"

Fangs stared at her, clearly surprised. His mouth gaped a moment, as though he were going to say something, but instead he just glared confusedly. "I'm sorry… were you just being nice to me?" he enquired after a while.

Slash scoffed. Feathers decided to ask "well?" in anticipation of his response. Fangs looked at her, his eyes glinting with determination. "I'm not nervous," he stated with an unusually steely voice, "and I'm certainly not going to back down now. I guess we all have to hope Kiloh was right about Xatu: that there is a reason I am to go as well." Fangs stabbed his tail into the dirt in frustration, "and if it turns out there wasn't a reason, I'll kill him myself." Slash smirked in agreement.

And so they continued on, finally reaching the trees at the edge of the clearing. Slash seemed more at home with each step, increasing the speed and confidence of her stride. Fangs, however, appeared increasingly uncomfortable and wary.

Feathers and Kiloh, for the most part, were filled with awe and excitement. Each tree stretched high overhead, with the bright blue sky just visible between the shimmering leaves. As they made their way deeper, they began to notice several shallow gashes in the bark of the trees. Slash told them that they had entered the training area which was on the outskirts of the village.

"Where is everyone?" Feathers asked worriedly.

Slash rolled her eyes, deciding to refrain from explaining that training was only done early in the morning to noon. Seeing as it was currently late in the afternoon, most of the activity would be occurring within the colony itself.

They made their way quickly through the training grounds, finally making it to the edge of the town. There, they were greeted by two guards.

One of the guards spoke as Slash drew near. "Slash! You're back! It's been such a long time… does anyone else know you're coming?"

Slash shook her head in response, glad that all eyes were on her as opposed to her companions. "No, think of it as a surprise visit. Do you know where my father is?"

"Probably at his place, I guess. That didn't occur to you?" The Zangoose grinned toothily. Slash gazed back sarcastically.

"Fine, we'll be going now. Tell Rash that I'm back. I hear you've gotten a whole bunch of new recruits, so hopefully he'll see to it that I help out in their training," Slash responded as the guard looked over her companions. "Oh, and hopefully they can help too; they're my team members."

Slash hoped that by acting like nothing was wrong, the Zangoose wouldn't notice… or at least wouldn't overreact to Fangs's presence. As expected, however, the guard immediately tensed up, fur standing on end as it caught site of the serpent behind them. Slash sighed miserably.

"Is that a Seviper?!"

Slash groaned. Things weren't going as well as she had hoped; she was getting irritated. "Let me guess, you can't let him in. Just get my father."

The guard hesitated, looking first at Fangs and then back at Slash. Finally, shifting uncomfortably, the guard took a step backward, saying, "Fine then, but don't expect a different answer just because he's your daddy."

Feathers watched the guard leave, confusion etched out on her face. "How'd you get that Zangoose to do what you wanted? And your father… can he really let us in?"

The remaining guard looked down at the Torchic. "Cilicia's father is head of the guard; if he doesn't have the power, no one does."

"Cilicia?" Kiloh enquired curiously.

Slash shifted in embarrassment. "I'm Cilicia. Rash, the head of the Zangoose militia, is my father. In theory, I should be able to bring whoever I want into the colony, but this circumstance goes way past mere theory," Slash muttered miserably. "Oh, and Fangs… if something goes wrong… I don't care what you think you might accomplish by staying, I want you to run. I'm hoping it won't come to it, but you could be locked up."

Fangs nodded. He understood the risk, but moreover, he really wanted to catch a glimpse of the area he had been trained to reach. All his life, he was raised to hate and taught to fight Zangoose, but now he was about to explore his enemy's territory with, hopefully, little danger.

Rash came running up faster than any of them had expected. He was a huge Zangoose, almost double the size of Slash and just larger than Bruce had been. But where Bruce had youth and brawn to spare, age was clearly visible through the many battle scars that Rash had all over his body. Currently, his eyes were blazing with both relief and anger. "Cilicia…" he grunted, "welcome back."

Slash hugged her father. "Father, these are my fellow academy members," Slash proceeded to introduce each member individually, to which Rash greeted briefly.

"Cilicia," Rash enquired, "why did you bring a Seviper here?" The huge Zangoose kept his voice very level, neither bearing his teeth nor narrowing his eyes. Obviously, he had earned his position in society by keeping a level head. "You must understand, _Fangs_, that we Zangoose harbor a deep loathing of Sevipers, just as I'm sure you do for us. To simply allow you access to the village would be an injustice to all who have died before us."

Slash shrugged, taking a step back. "Father, I know that I'm asking a lot, but my academy master requires that I stay with my team members, and I plan to respect his request. I'm not asking for more than safety; Fangs is only to stay with us, not gain any information or anything like that."

"And you trust him?"

Slash nodded briefly, explaining, "I have to." Rash groaned unhappily at this, knowing that he had to do this for her to stay.

"Oh, and Father, my friends are here to help as well. I've already offered to help train your new recruits," Slash whispered, hoping for the answer she wanted.

Rash stared at the ground for a moment, thinking things over intently. Finally, he sighed and agreed, "fine, you all may stay. But I would prefer," he added, "that the Seviper stay away from my new recruits."

"You won't even know he's there," Slash laughed. Rash smiled; to not notice a Seviper in Zangoose territory would be an outrageous oversight.

"Cilicia, show your friends to their rooms. Unfortunately, we don't have enough for everyone to have their own. I hope you have no qualms about two sharing a-"

"Oh! Kiloh and I will share!" Feathers tweeted eagerly.

"Well… I guess that… settles that," Rash muttered amusedly. "I hope to see you three at sunrise tomorrow at the training grounds. And as for you, Seviper, don't do something to make me regret this."


	2. Chapter 2

_Dear Diary, Feathers here! First of all, I'm just wondering… do you hear from all pokemon or is it one Diary per pokemon? Oh well, I guess it doesn't matter._

_We made it to the Zangoose colony! And Fangs wasn't attacked! They all really hate him, though, I feel kind of bad for him. Speaking of him, Slash seems to be acting a lot nicer towards him. Well, maybe that's just because everyone else is so mean to him… maybe she just seems nicer. I probably shouldn't bring it up, considering she will likely step up her rudeness to prove me wrong._

_Oh, and Slash's real name is Cilicia. Her dad's name is Rash! Haha, Slash and Rash!! Sorry, I find that really cute. Anywho, Kiloh and I have our own really pretty room! Rash is very well off, it seems. According to another Zangoose we met, as leader of the militia, Rash has the highest standing of all Zangoose in the society. I guess that sort of makes Slash a powerful figure as well…_

_I can't wait to help train those Zangoose tomorrow! When we saw the first patrol, there were some tiny Zangoose!! They are so cute and fluffy… they're adorable!! Well, I guess we'd better teach them to hurt things, haha! Well, seeing as I'm so excited, I want to get to sleep faster so tomorrow comes sooner. I think Kiloh's already asleep! Well, good night!_

Feathers proofread her latest entry. Kiloh had already retired to the other bed in the room, staring at the ceiling. The room was big, and he was glad he wasn't alone in it.

Meanwhile, Fangs was in another room down the hall. As expected, he wasn't particularly comfortable even considering the apparent luxury that Rash and his daughter could afford. The room felt large and oppressive, seeming to accentuate the murderous feud of Sevipers and Zangoose. It wasn't a good feeling to be within a structure created by those who wanted him dead.

Fangs grunted, shifting to a more comfortable position. "By all means, I should be comfortable," Fangs reasoned, whispering to himself in the darkness. But try as he might, he couldn't shake the feeling that someone was coming for him…

Fangs heard a slight click noise, like something sharp against wood. Had he imagined it?

He heard it again. Whatever it was, it wasn't trying very hard to remain undetected. Finally, Fangs got up, waiting to see what was about to show itself through the door. And what approached was startling, but by no means surprising.

Three Zangoose walked in, the largest in the front. The first thing Fangs noticed was that Slash wasn't one of them. Instead, there were two he had never met as well as one large one: Bruce.

Bruce took a step forward. Fangs didn't move. He briefly considered attacking, but decided that it wouldn't be wise to be the aggressor in his current situation.

"So, Seviper, I'm impressed that you made it into our territory untouched. In fact, I'm a little ashamed by the lack of reaction. Luckily," he growled, "it appears that much of that is due to no one knowing that you are here. Rest assured that I have seen to it personally that the entire colony knows you're here."

Fangs glared menacingly, knowing he was in danger. How could he get out of this?

"As you've probably guessed, the entire community is not pleased with your presence. I've been told to… show you our hospitality to your kind."

The Seviper breathed in heavily as the Zangoose grinned devilishly. Finally, Fangs hissed "what are you going to do?"

Bruce smirked, apparently glad that Fangs had asked. "I have most of the village waiting in the Zangoose town square. We're going to lock you up for tonight… maybe say you did something or other… Rash won't be able to deny that you be executed then. After all, we locked you up… out of self-preservation."

"Hey, Kiloh, did you hear something?" Feathers whispered in the dark. She could have sworn she had heard a scuffle down the hall.

"No…" Kiloh responded honestly.

"Well… nevermind then…" Feathers stuttered.

Fangs didn't know where he was. The group of Zangoose had surprised him, wrapping a cloth around his head to ensure he couldn't see. He was also quite certain that his tail blade had been covered. He couldn't move, and struggle as he might, he couldn't free himself. He was being taken somewhere… to the town square?

Before Fangs could really consider what to do, he was literally thrown through the air before crashing roughly to the ground. His blindfold was removed… or more like ripped off, and Fangs struggled for a moment to regain his vision.

He was in a cage-like prison in the middle of the town square. Fangs recognized this miniature jail: it was where the Zangoose kept prisoners of war. Currently, it was empty of anyone except Fangs himself.

It was still dark out, but that didn't stop Fangs from seeing the crowd of Zangoose standing just outside the jail cell. The incredible anger and disgust with which they looked at him was truly frightening to behold. Fangs couldn't really think of anything to say but… "This isn't good". This he whispered to himself.

Slash was the first one up out of anyone in the house. Rather excitedly, she made her way to Feathers and Kiloh's room so that they could help with the training. She sighed happily; it had been such a long time since she had slept in her own bed.

She briefly considered going to see if Fangs had slept, but decided against it considering it was still very early. It's not like he was going with them; waking him up would just be mean.

As Slash had expected, Feathers was already awake, practically vibrating to go outside. Kiloh was also awake, but his excitement level was rather underwhelming in comparison to his feathered friend.

"So… you guys ready to show these rookies how it's done?" Slash enquired with a determined smile.

Rash's house was very near the training grounds, and as such it only took them two or three minutes to get there. When they did, they were surprised to see over a dozen young Zangoose attacking targets on the trees and sparring with each other.

"Here we go," Slash whispered to them.

Kiloh had to admit, this looked like it was going to be a lot of fun. None of these new recruits had ever seen battle before, and as such, even Kiloh and Feathers, who were rookies at the academy, would be seen as high-ranking officials with plentiful experience.

Slash called out to the dozen or so new recruits. Immediately, they raced towards her as if trying to show off their discipline. "Good! A few of you may remember me as Cilicia, and these are my team members: Feathers and Kiloh. We're going to be your instructors for today. First off, why don't we see where you guys are?" Slash gestured towards one of the Zangoose at the front. "Come up here and see if you can hit me."

Feathers and Kiloh watched in astonishment as the Zangoose eagerly rocketed forward and clumsily slashed out with its claws. Slash effortlessly ducked to the side, tripping the recruit by grabbing its legs out from under it. Although Slash threw him to the ground, she did it relatively gently. "Not bad, now see if you can hit Feathers."

"What?!" Feathers chirped fearfully. The recruit got up eagerly, pouncing towards the hapless Torchic. Although it came fast, Feathers was easily able to duck under the wild swing, causing the Zangoose to tumble out of control once it hit the ground.

"Alright, last chance, hit Kiloh," Slash hollered.

Kiloh readied himself as the Zangoose got up again. There was a frown on its face, obviously highlighting its embarrassment. The Zangoose tried feinting to the right sloppily before sweeping out with its left claws. Kiloh almost had time to smirk as he easily dodged both swings and flipped the Zangoose onto its back.

"Whoa, nice work Kiloh!" Feathers chirped happily.

"Hm… that was promising," Slash stated, "I wasn't expecting you to fake swing, very good. Now, I'm going to take you through some maneuvers. Obviously, Feathers and Kiloh will have some techniques of their own to teach, so I'm going to split you guys all off and we'll alternate every so often. Good luck! Okay, you five go with Kiloh, you four go with Feathers, and as for the rest, you guys are with me."

The Zangoose excitedly split off into the designated groups. What Slash had done was risky, but it had ultimately gained them all quite a bit of respect.

As they swarmed each instructor, a few of them caught sight of another pokemon, a Seviper. Silence fell over those who bore witness. Obviously, the ones who saw wanted to take down the Seviper to show off to the instructors.

Slash saw out of the corner of her eye as several Zangoose rushed away after something. Some were shouting "the prisoner got away!" and other such things. Slash had no time to react, and instead watched as the Zangoose were thrown aside powerfully by a roughed-up looking Seviper.

"Fangs?!" Slash yelled, running towards him. There was no doubt about it, it was indeed Fangs. Strangely enough, he had all kinds of cuts, scrapes, and open wounds all over him. After he threw off the last little Zangoose, he spat blood onto the grass, sputtering as he did so. "What are you doing here?! What happened?" Slash didn't know what else to say.

Fangs did nothing but smirk in response.

"Cilicia… why aren't you attacking it?" A wide-eyed Zangoose asked fearfully, hiding behind her. Slash looked back in reassurance.

"He doesn't mean us harm…" Slash whispered to them. "I guess further introductions are in order." Slash made her way towards him, eyeing the extent of the damage done to him. "Why did you leave my house?"

"It wasn't my choice. Bruce and a couple of thugs came last night with a paralyze orb. Rather than fight, they captured me and put me in the Seviper prison."

Slash shuddered. She had seen what had happened to Seviper that had been foolish enough to get themselves captured. They would be locked up in a cage for all to see and periodically tortured. Funnily enough, she had always cheered for the process, as had every other Zangoose. She had never expected a team-mate to be on the receiving end.

"Are you going to be alright?" Feathers asked, very concerned.

"I'm just fine. I'm here to help train the recruits, in fact. It's the only place I'm really safe right now."

Slash paused, and then nodded briefly. "Fine, but we're not getting the whole story. How did you get here from the prison?"

"I escaped."

This answer startled Slash. In her years of service in the militia, she had often taken guard-duty of the prison cell. As such, she knew just how impossible it was to attempt such a thing. As far as she knew, no prisoners-of-war had ever escaped… except one long ago. On a rather successful raid, they managed to capture the Seviper-leader's son. She had been training at the time. Somehow, he had escaped, making him the only Seviper to leave the prison of his own accord.

Fangs grinned toothily, "don't look so surprised! After all, I've done it before."

"Whaaaaaat?!" Slash couldn't have said anything else. This revelation was almost too much to handle. Fangs, a fellow guild member whom she had eaten with, travelled with, and on occasion talked to, was the son of the Seviper-leader. He was almost the leader of her worst enemies! If the rest of the Zangoose knew…

"Are… you okay?" Fangs asked, tilting his head to the side curiously.

"Uh, yeah fine, let's get to training!"

The morning passed without anything further going wrong. Rather than have his own team to work with, Slash decided it would be best to have Fangs work with her. Often, this involved Fangs being a punching-bag of sorts. The young Zangoose tried out their new techniques on him eagerly, bent on the fact that this was the real deal. They were so excited to have a chance at fighting a real live Seviper.

Every once in a while, Fangs would offer his opinion. He would reason that "that technique is lousy" or that it was "flashy but impractical". It seemed strange to Slash that he was working so hard to help her out.

"Hey Fangs," Slash realized aloud, "why don't we show them what it's really like? Why don't we show them a real battle?"

"You mean with us." Fangs understood fully what Slash was implying. "Fine, but I'm not about to just take a dive. If you want to fight me, we're both going all out."

Slash nodded. These new recruits were about to something very exciting! With some help from Kiloh, she tied up her claws in bandages so as not to cause lasting damage. Fangs already had his tail-blade tied up from earlier, so all he needed to tie up were the tips of his fangs. He licked the bandages uncomfortably afterwards, complaining that they were "distasteful".

Slash made it clear she was ready, as did Fangs. The Zangoose inadvertently created a form of fighting ring so that they could see everything. It appeared that they would start immediately.

Fangs ducked under a graceful swing of Slash's claws before attempting a lower slash at her legs. Easily, she sprung over the powerful sweep, leaving neither of them with an advantage. Fangs leapt up into the air in a front-flip, whipping his tail vertically at Slash, who side-stepped the attack. He landed in a frontwards somersault, whipping his tail around a second time.

The second swing was unexpected, but Slash still had time to halt the blade by grabbing his tail lower down. For a moment, he held it there, attempting to overpower her. Finding he could not with brute strength alone, he withdrew from the grapple quickly. Slash couldn't hang on.

Both Slash and Fangs were breathing heavily. Though they seemed tired, they were far from exhausted and would keep fighting for a long time if they could.

"I have to admit," Slash managed to say between breaths, "I underestimated you."

"Likewise," responded the Seviper.

"But this fight ends here. So far, I've neglected to use my family's secret move. I've never missed with it, and as far as I know, neither has anyone else who has ever used it." Immediately, Slash leapt forward, eyes blazing. Fangs gazed startled as her claws burned bright through the bandages. She was flying towards him at an alarming speed.

Just as she was about to strike him, however, Fangs dove head first into the ground, digging his way underground. She drove her claws into the ground desperately, hoping she still got him. Silence fell over the entire field as they waited for the Seviper to pop back up.

Suddenly, Fangs erupted from the earth behind Slash and wrapped around her. He squeezed her tightly, and she pushed back. It was amazing to see such an epic battle turn into such a lame-looking struggle. Neither could get the upper-hand.

"I think we're going to call this a draw…" Feathers chirped sheepishly. Hesitantly, Fangs loosened his grip and unwrapped himself from around her.

This proved it. Fangs was indeed the son of the leader. How else could he learn to fight with such expertise? Rather than feeling elated, Slash felt like a wave of responsibility had just washed over her. Logically, she should turn him in to the Zangoose authorities. This could give them a great advantage in the feud. But could she? She had agreed to take his side should he and the other Zangoose fight. But she had long ago taken a vow to do whatever she could to weaken the Sevipers. It was very confusing, needless to say.

"Thanks for letting me stay the night in your room, I guess…" Fangs muttered, coiling himself up on the cushion on the floor.

Slash laughed, "Thanks for agreeing to it. I'd rather my mission was not jeopardized because one of us wants privacy. Anyway, I wanted to say that you impressed me at the training grounds today.

If Fangs could visibly blush, he would now. "Uh… thanks… likewise."

Slash sighed, lying on her bed with her sight on the ceiling. She had to choose her next words carefully. "Who would have thought that I, daughter of Rash, would be sharing a room willingly with Fangs, the son of Aleia."

Fangs eyes widened in shock. "How did you know _that_?" He looked over at Slash. She had a large grin on her face.

"Actually, I didn't. I do now though." She laughed again.

Fangs waited for a second, half expecting her to explain what she intended to do with him. "Well?" he asked finally.

"Oh, I won't tell anyone. If they knew, it would seriously jeopardize the mission, my credibility, and… well, I guess your life."

"Thanks for including that last one on your list of priorities," Fangs said, smiling thoughtfully. What had caused this shift in her attitude towards him? It was getting hard to continue hating her when she didn't hate him back.

"No problem…" she responded. There was a moment of silence. "You know, I think it was about the time you wrapped around me during the fight. You know, neither of us could get an advantage? I've been thinking a lot about things… things like the mission and my standing in the guild. I realized that my standing there is more important than my standing here… what I'm saying is…" Slash didn't know how to say what she meant. It was awkward enough, but Fangs appeared to be listening very attentively. She couldn't stop now. "I was wondering if you'd forgive me for my automatic hatred. I was wondering… if you'd like to start over as if we weren't… you know…"

Fangs did know. But even so, he could not believe what he was hearing. As far as he knew, no Zangoose or Seviper had ever accepted each other. And now, if he understood correctly, she was actually asking him if… well… what was she asking, exactly?

As if in response, she got out of her bed and walked towards him. "What I'm asking is… will you be my not-enemy?"

Fangs laughed slightly at this, a bemused smile on his face. "Alright, sure… but don't you be cheating on me."

It was Slash's turn to let out a giggle. Despite everything, however, she still saw him as a Seviper. "I have an idea. I'm going to close the window so we can't see each other. Maybe if we can talk without seeing each other, we wouldn't be automatically inclined to hate each other."

"You're willing to go through a lot of stuff just to like me." Fangs muttered. "I guess I'd better humor you. But I just have to ask you something. If you tell me yes, I won't think twice about it. I'm just asking if I can trust you."

Slash closed the window, making it entirely black in the room. "Yes," she answered.

Feathers and Kiloh were the first ones up in the morning. The two of them decided that they would go exploring the village.

They passed by the cage that Fangs had mentioned, now completely deserted at this point except for one. They recognized him immediately as Bruce.

"Hello, Bruce!" Feathers hollered at him. Bruce turned around with his sight slightly too high for Feathers; he glanced downwards in order to see her.

"Good day to you… Feathers was it?" Bruce said this with no emotion.

Feathers and Kiloh endured a very painfully awkward silence. Nobody said anything. After all, Feathers and Kiloh were associated with Fangs, and Bruce had put him in prison. Now that he had escaped, it was anybody's guess what he'd think of them.

"So I assume you helped it. It couldn't have escaped by itself. Only one Seviper in history has ever gotten out: Arithofangor. And he is no idiot. He would never let himself get caught a second time. Alternatively, that means you, or theoretically Slash, helped him out. At this point, I'd like to maintain some respect in our leader's family. That leaves you. Now tell me, where is he?"

Neither Slash nor Fangs were awake when the door to their room burst open before slamming shut again. It was still ridiculously dark, and Slash had to feel for the window so that they could see.

When she opened the window, the morning light shone through the room, showing Fangs's shocked face as well as the fearful expressions of Feathers and Kiloh.

"Uh… good morning?" Slash said.

There were several loud bangs on the door before it burst open yet again.

"Can't you knock next time?!" Slash groaned, still unable to take in everything that had happened. It was to be assumed she was still out-of-it, considering Bruce had indeed knocked.

"Bruce?! What the heck are you doing?!"

"I knew he'd be here somewhere!" Bruce roared, glaring angrily at the sleepy-eyed snake. Bruce then glanced at Slash. "Whatever you thought of him before, know that this snake is none other than Arithofangor!"

Slash felt her jaw drop involuntarily. How could he know about that?!

Bruce grinned, as if he expected the very question going through both Fangs and Slash's mind. "It was your friend Feathers who told me, in a sense. After they insisted they were not responsible for his release, I realized that he either is or knew the only Seviper that escaped, for he managed to do so in exactly the same way. Now, Slash, you must agree that we have to apprehend him for the good of Zangoose-kind!"

Slash didn't speak, but got up off her bed. Calmly, she gestured for everyone to listen to her. "I want you, Kiloh and Feathers, to get my father. Fangs will wait here with me, and you, Bruce, better be gone before he gets here."

Bruce couldn't have hidden his amazement if he tried. "What?! Why?! Didn't you hear what I just said?"

Slash turned to look him in the eyes. Though he was much bigger than her, she still managed to look somewhat formidable. "I did hear you; I just don't care. I'm so tired of this whole trip being about nothing but controversy! I'm going to ask Rash what I came here to ask, and we are going to leave; all of us."

Slash failed to get a response from Bruce, who was staring at her with a blank expression.

"Are you honestly suggesting that we just let the infamous Arithofangor to just waltz right out of our village with potentially dangerous information?!"

"The discussion between us is over. If you choose to stay, so be it; I can't stop you. But Fangs is leaving with me whether you and Rash allow it."

Rash entered the room quickly, followed by Kiloh and Feathers. Feathers had a panicked look on her face, and Kiloh didn't seem to be at ease either.

"What is going on here? Your friend Kiloh says it's urgent," Rash said calmly. Though his demeanor suggested otherwise, Slash could tell when her father wasn't happy.

Slash nodded a brief greeting to her father before continuing "I must request that you, as speaker for the Zangoose colony, give your support to Xatu should he need it in the coming months. You know this must be important; I would not ask otherwise."

Rash seemed taken aback by his daughter. Never in her life had he seen her talk with such authority. For a moment, he was stricken with pride, but it couldn't last forever. "You must understand, Cilicia… I cannot give you our support with the threat of possible invasion by the Sevipers."

"There won't be an invasion from the Sevipers… we are going to ask of them just as we've asked of you," Slash responded.

Rash didn't know what to say. He paused, his mouth hanging open lamely as though he could think of something at any moment. He couldn't. Finally, after a few minutes, he said "you can't possibly be asking us to drop generations of hatred just because it is convenient."

Slash sighed, clearly getting impatient. "I'm not asking you to give it up; I'm asking you to realize that this hatred has been going since the dawn of time, and it will continue on forever. A temporary peace agreement because of something more important than hatred… surely you must agree that this is not completely unfounded."

"Cilicia… you cannot possibly be asking me-"

"You're right, I'm not. I do not come to you as your daughter. I'm asking you as _Slash, _who left the colony and saw the world for what it really is. I've learned things, Rash, things that most Zangoose here cannot hope to comprehend. Know that I am asking for nothing more than the safety of _all."_

Rash looked at the floor, defeated. "How can I know that the Sevipers will agree to this as well?"

"They will." Slash stated simply. "And if by chance they do not, I promise to come back and let you know. The safety of my home is important to me."

"But if they disagree… they might not let you leave, Cilicia… you are putting yourself in too much danger," Rash whispered hoarsely. Slash didn't move.

"If that should happen, we promise to protect her and bring her back to deliver that message." Kiloh piped up.

"No…" Rash responded. "I hate the Sevipers, but I have long known that they are neither dumb nor weak. If they should choose to capture any of you, I have no hope that you'd leave alive."

There was a long silence as the reality of the situation fell over them. "Regardless…" Slash started.

Fangs finally spoke up "I promise that I shall do all in my power to keep her and my team-mates safe. My fellow Sevipers will listen to me, if not immediately."

Rash hesitated yet again, untrusting of both the enemy clan and the Seviper in front of him. "Why should they?" he retaliated.

"Because I am Arithofangor; if they do not listen to me, than they won't listen to anyone."

"You?! It cannot be! Arithofangor… he was to be my sworn enemy when Aleia was taken down."

"With all do respect, don't be dense." Fangs retorted, "if my mother didn't survive for some reason, do you really think you'd be alive as well?"

"I won't take this at face value. If you are indeed Arithofangor, then you must prove it."

"And how is he going to do that?" Feathers asked politely.

Rash flashed his claws in front his face. "He will fight me, and I will judge whether he is truly related to Aleia. She was the single greatest warrior I have ever met, and her son should at least possess a fraction of that talent."

"But father!" Slash protested.

"I'm afraid I have to agree with Slash on this one," Bruce growled, "putting yourself at risk needlessly could cripple our defenses. Let me fight for you instead."

"Fine," Rash growled, "but I warn you, Slash. When you went away, it left our defenses weak. I had to personally tutor another. I chose Bruce for that."

"You tutored him?! Doesn't that mean…"

"Yes," Bruce grunted, "I know Rash's secret family technique."

Rash looked ashamed. "You have to understand, Slash. You left me in a precarious situation. You were, when you left, our single greatest asset in the militia. Now, unfortunately, I'm afraid this is no longer true. No one could replace you as my daughter… but I had to replace you as our most talented warrior."

Fangs gazed awkwardly at Kiloh, who glanced awkwardly at Feathers. They were standing outside Slash's room, silently debating whether or not they should go in. Rash and Bruce had long since left, and the fight between Fangs and Bruce would be held in just a few minutes.

"Maybe if we all went in…" Feathers whispered.

"I think she needs some alone time," Kiloh responded.

"I know… I just don't feel right leaving her like this. What Rash said… that had to hurt," Feathers said.

"But what can we say?" Kiloh asked hopelessly. Neither Fangs nor Feathers responded immediately.

Finally Fangs got an idea, "wait out here, guys. I think I know what might help… maybe."

The Torchic and the Treecko looked hesitant, but decided it better not to argue. Fangs went to the door, but found it locked.

"I guess that answers that…" Kiloh whispered dejectedly.

"No it doesn't." Fangs took his tail blade and stuck it in the side. He slid it down to the door-lock, wriggling it until he heard it click. "As I said before… wait out here," he said, pushing the door open.

Slash heard the door open. In a panicked fashion, she wiped her eyes with the side of her arm, issuing a frustrated "go away!" before rolling over on her bed. "I locked the door for a reason."

"And I unlocked it for a reason as well," Fangs responded coyly, watching her glance towards him with a surprised look.

"You?! I have to admit, I wasn't expecting you…" Slash stated. Fangs closed the door so no one could hear.

"Look, I know you're upset-"

"I am not upset!"

Fangs smirked sarcastically at this. He continued: "about Rash finding a replacement for you. But I realized that Rash can't yet know if Bruce is actually better than you. It got me thinking… when we fought, we were equals. If I beat Bruce today…"

"…then that means I'm still better than him." Slash finished. She seemed to contemplate this for a long time. "Fine then, but you'd better not lose."

Fangs smirked devilishly, "you might be surprised to realize that I don't plan on losing."

"There's just too much at stake!" Feathers repeated for the umpteenth time. "I don't think I can watch!"

"Whatever is going to happen will happen whether you are watching or not…" Kiloh answered… again. Once again, it seemed to quell Feathers's fears, if only for the moment.

They had all gathered around a large field with three trees in the ring. The walls of the ring were created by the many Zangoose clambering to get a look at the fighting that would soon be underway. Rash and Bruce were at one end of the ring, whereas Slash and Fangs were at the other. Kiloh and Feathers had managed to climb a tree to get a better view.

Rash soon addressed the Zangoose who had gathered, but Fangs wasn't listening. How could he concentrate on something so trivial when, as Feathers had put it, so much was at stake? After Rash had finished talking about the various rules, he went over and talked to Bruce. No one could tell what he was saying, but Bruce nodded with a smirk after he did so. He stepped forward. Fangs considered moving forward as well, but Slash stopped him.

"Now I know you expect me to give you some advice on Bruce… but I haven't fought him since I was little. I can only guess at what to do. Do not, and I'm being serious here, do not get into a grapple with him. Seriously. If you do, you are an idiot. Just look at him! Oh, and about the special attack… I doubt Rash wants him to use it, but if things don't go Bruce's way, I wouldn't be surprised if he did it anyway. In that case, do what you did to me: go underground. They won't expect it, and after using the technique, it'll take a bit of time before he's at full power again."

"So maybe it would be a good idea to get him to use it…" Fangs reasoned.

"Maybe… but be careful. I'm sure Rash would have put precautions in place… he did so for me. I guess all I can say is good luck… or… maybe… Fangs, what moves can you use?"

Fangs shifted uncomfortably. "Oh, you know… I can use poison tail, wrap, dig… pretty standard stuff."

"What's your fourth though? You never told me or used it on me."

Fangs sighed dejectedly, "It's not the kind of move I'd want to use right now. I'm going to go without it."

Slash paused a moment in suspicion. "Fine then, we'll talk about it later. Unfortunately, I was hoping for a stronger move set… as it stands, you'll be lucky to win with… I'm sorry; I'm not helping much, am I?"

"Not too much, no." Fangs smirked. Slash wished him luck, and so Fangs went forward to meet Bruce in the center of the ring.

Bruce was big. Not just for a Zangoose, even. Fangs had always seen him as ridiculously large, but now, he seemed to loom ominously overhead. He had huge claws to match. They looked deadly.

"Are you ready, Arithofangor?" Bruce growled. Everything Bruce had ever said to him felt menacing, and this was no different. To some extent, he wished he could be fighting Rash instead. That, he had done before.

"You may begin!" Rash said, all too soon. Fangs didn't move, keeping his eyes glued to his opponent's. Bruce laughed, crossing his arms.

"Make your move, worm," the massive Zangoose said.

Should he be tempted? Bruce was probably going to counterattack; he didn't hide it very well. If Fangs attacked him, could he hope to avoid such an obvious threat?

Fangs chose not to move, instead narrowing his eyes and awaiting his opponent's next move. "This isn't a staring contest, Seviper. I guess I should have figured, given your ancestry, that you would be a coward."

Fangs didn't budge. He was beginning to think that Bruce was an idiot. Why else would he try such feeble attempts to make him angry?

"Well, I guess you missed your chance then," Bruce growled, brandishing his claws. "That was your free chance to hit me; it's all over now."

Quite predictably, Slash attacked immediately after finishing his statement. It was a clumsy swing, to be sure, but the raw power behind it was formidable. Fangs ducked easily under it, knowing full well that one swing could end it all.

Fangs attempted the same thing he had done with Slash while sparring. He whipped his tail out under him in a full circle. Unlike Slash, Bruce simply took the hit, receiving a small cut on his foot.

Fangs was taken aback. He never expected Bruce to be agile, but for him to just take every attack thrown at him? It was a strange fight indeed.

"You can't hurt me," Bruce laughed, swinging his claws out in random directions. "But I can hurt you."

Fangs easily dodged every attack, launching a counter attack every now and again. So far, Fangs hadn't been hit, but Bruce had several long, clean cuts where his tail blade had come into contact.

Fangs soon realized what he had to do. Although Bruce was tough enough to endure every hit, his constitution couldn't be that much more than a regular Zangoose. He thought of a risky plan.

Bruce pounced at him, and so Fangs, not given enough time to think, went through with his idea. He wrapped around the massive Zangoose tightly, holding his arms at his side. The Zangoose grunted angrily, flailing desperately to get a grip on him.

Fangs knew that if he were to use his secret technique, it would all be over. But he knew he couldn't. Instead, he said "poke poke" and stabbed the Zangoose several times in the torso with his bladed tail. The blade dripped with purple venom as he withdrew it, and he retraced the scar line that every Zangoose had on its belly. Just before Bruce managed to pry him off, he plunged his fangs into the Zangoose's left shoulder.

Bruce grabbed him forcefully and attempted to smash him against the forest floor. Fangs managed to wriggle free at the last possible instant, rolling gracefully to absorb the impact. Fangs panted slightly. That was a lot of venom he had used.

Bruce staggered slightly, as though he were about to teeter over any moment. There were deep gashes all over his body now. His left arm hung limply to his side, which he clutched with his right. The venom was definitely kicking in.

"Can we stop this senselessness?" Fangs asked. He was feeling terrible. Had he used too much venom?

Bruce laughed ominously, his claws starting to glow. His eyes glowed as well.

Fangs sighed, knowing that the only way to stop the hulking form in front of him was to make him faint. With all the venom he had used, it was only a matter of time before he would require medical attention. Bruce leapt at him, eyes blazing.

Fangs dove into the dirt, feeling the coolness of it deeper down. It was sort of refreshing, given the heat of the sun. Also, it was a place completely free from the eyes of everyone.

Bruce now lacked a target. The blazing flames that had glowed so strongly now flickered and died, leaving the Zangoose standing there weakly.

"I'm sorry Rash…" he stated simply before his eyes rolled back into his head and he toppled to the ground.

Rash didn't move, instead looking at the grass in front of him in disgust. Slash was tempted to run over to her father, but decided against it.

Fangs had heard a large thump, and so he popped his head out of the ground like a diglet. The first thing he saw was a massive ball of white fur next to him. Had he won?

The crowd around him was silent. Whether it was with utmost shock or seething anger wasn't clear. The only audible sound was the playful cheering of Feathers high up in a tree.

"Somebody get a medic!" Slash yelled as loud as she could. Nobody seemed to know what to think. Was this a happy occasion?

For Slash, it was. She ran over to Fangs, offering a brief "congratulations", before turning to the unconscious body of her replacement. "Some replacement you turned out to be," she whispered under her breath. Carefully, she attempted to hoist the massive body onto her shoulders. Fangs did the best he could to help, but the serpentine way in which his body was built could only assist in carrying so much. At that point however, several other Zangoose had come to help with their fallen brethren.

Afterwards, Slash and Fangs confronted Rash at their house.

"I do believe you… just as I now realize that it was foolish of me to think any one of us had a chance against you." Rash muttered sadly. "Bruce is now the best we have… and his skill was utterly dwarfed in your presence. It just goes to show how old I've gotten… I thought my tutoring still had merit."

"It did," Fangs said in a consoling tone, "Bruce was just the wrong one to tutor. Earlier on, I sparred with Slash at the training grounds. I couldn't beat her, and neither could she best me. "

Rash looked up, hope in his gaze.

"It's true, father. That day, I conceded to Fangs that he was my equal in combat."

"Then my daughter… was a match for the legendary Arithofangor?"

"Why do you hold so much respect for me? I thought a high ranking official would despise me for what I am."

"I do despise you. I hate Arithofangor and everything he fights for… but I am not foolish. Out of every Seviper I have ever fought one-on-one, only two have ever fought well enough to earn my respect. The first was Aleia, and much later on, her son, Arithofangor… you. I am sorry, you look so different from when I last saw you on the battlefield. It looks like you've figured plenty of things out since then."

"I have," admitted Fangs.

"And so have I," Slash told him.

Rash seemed contemplative of the entire situation. After what seemed a long period of time, he spoke, "very well. You have proven yourself to me as you promised. I cannot argue past this point as it will get us nowhere. I can only hope that you would promise to keep my daughter safe… and uphold that promise."

Fangs nodded his head. "I will."

"Then go. I cannot say anything more."


End file.
